Shake-splitting machine



Aug. 30, 1938. A. E, BECKMAN 2,128,521

SHAKE SPLITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1937 INVENTOR. AXEL E. BECKMANORNEY.

Patented Aug. so, 1938 2,128,521

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SHAKE-SPLITTING MACHINE Axel E. Beckman,Oregon City, on Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 139,023

4 Claims. (Cl. 144-193) This invention is directed to an apparatus forfrom the center with openings III, II, l2 and I3. the manufacture ofshakes and is constructed These openings are designed to provide for thewith a view to providing for the splitting from an connection of thepltman 8 to the power wheel 9 appropriate block of a shake of thedesired thickand obviously provide for different length throws Q ness atthe butt end and of tapering formation or movements of the bars 8. fromthe butt end. The bars 5 are provided near their upper ends Heretofore,at least in the majority of inwith channels '28 to receive cross-bars l4which stances, shakes have been formed by the use of are thus mounted tobe adjusted longitudinally cutting knives which are forced through theof the bars 5 so that the space between any pair 1' block, or saws whichoperate on the block, with of cross-bars 14 maybe adjusted. In the inthedisadvantage that in the first instance the stance shown, there are twosets-or pairs of such surface of the shake is naturally smooth andcross-bars l4 and the space'between these bars must be subsequentlytreated .to get the desired is to be regulated through positioning inselected roughness or grain, and in the second instance channels 28 toreceive the length of block I5 from ll there is a considerable loss ofmaterial dueto the which the shakes are to be split. The block is 15cutting width of the saw. positioned between the side bars 2 of theframe The primary object of the present invention, and between a pair ofcross-bars l4, thus permittherefore, is the provision of a wedge-shapedting the block to be merely placed in position, splitting element whichmay be forced into the provided, however,-that if desired holding blocksM block and split therefrom a shake of the desired 21 may be mountedupon the blocks l5 and prethickness at the butt end, tapering from suchvented from endwise movement though permitted butt end and having thenatural rough grain adjustable vertical height, to accommodate thefinish by reason of its being split from the block blocks originally andas they are split away, by

rather than out therefrom. pins projecting from the blocks 21 and guideda The invention is illustrated in the 'accompanybetween uprights 29, asclearly illustrated, as the 25 ing drawing, in which: cross-bars preventendwise movement -'of the Figure 1 is a perspective view of theapparatus block during operation of the machine. as a whole. The blockof material is loosely confined be- Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the tween the bars M, at the same time the bars act a machineshown in Figure 1. as abutments for the block at the time the wedgeFigure 3 is a similar view showing the splitting splits a shake. Inorder to facilitate the splitimplement entering the block from the endoppoting action and enable the wedge to follow the site the operationindicated in Figure 2. grain of the wood and thereby properly shape theFigure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the shake, the block ofmaterial tilts slightly. line 4-4 of Figure 2. Secured to thelongitudinally operating bars 6 Figure 5 is a transverse section throughthe is a splitting element It, which element is an apparatus on the line5-15 of Figure 2. appropriate length of metal having rather abruptFigure 6 is a broken longitudinal section, partends terminating at eachside edge in a splitting ly in elevation, of the apparatus. edge H whichis naturally sharpened. The

Figure '7 is a broken elevation showing the thickness of the splittingelement l6 increases 40 means for providing adjustable stroke lengths offrom the abrupt side edges or ends toward the the slide bar. center,being thicker'at the center, as indicated at Figure 8 is a transversesection of the splitting IS in Figure 8. tool. Beyond the splittingelement, the bars 6 are 5 The construction providesaframe including anconnected by a supporting plate IS. The supupper box-like body Ihaving'side walls 2 and end porting plate is secured to the under sideof the walls 3, with the body supported upon appropribar but ispresented with an upstanding offset 2!] ate legs. Side walls 2 areprovided on their infitting a recess 2| in the inner surfaces of the norsurfaces with longitudinally extending verbars 6, so that the supportingplate is on a horitically spaced bars 4 and 5 providing between zontalplane below that of the splitting element 50 them channels in each ofwhich are mounted which is secured tothe upper surfaces of the barsslide bars 6 united at one end beyond the frame 6. The splitting wedgehas its end seated in a in a connecting plate 1 to which is pivotallycontransverse recess 22 in the upper surfaces of the nected a pitman 8.A belt or other power-driven bars 6, being secured by a bolt 23, thelower end of I wheel 9 is formed at different radial distances which isprovided with a securing nut 24 seated in an opening 25 in the lowersurfaces of the bars 6. The connection described, and which is shownmore particularly in Figures 4 and 5, permits vertical adjustment of thesplitting element as a whole in order to select a desired thickness ofthe butt end of the shake to be produced.

In the instance shown, the machine is designed for two blocks and thesplitting element [6 and supporting plate i9 will be duplicated, asindicated in Figures 2 and 3.

In operation, the blocks l5, or one such block if only one is to beused, are placed in position between the appropriate pair of cross-barsi4.

These cross-bars have been adjusted to prevent undue endwise movement ofthe block in the splitting operation and the block in position restsupon the particular underlying supporting plate I 9. In the driving ofthe power wheel 9, the bars 6 are moved in one direction, the splittingelement is caused to enter the end of the block, but incident to itsconstruction, compels a splitting operation rather than a cuttingoperation.

This splitting operation incident to the formation of the block followsthe grain of the block in a taper, so that the resultant shake istapered from one end to the other. As the splitting element movesthrough the split and beyond the block at the opposite end, thecorresponding movement of the supporting plate i9 permits the splitshake to drop free of the plate into a pile in the lower portion of theframe. The splitting element is now beyond the opposite end of the blockand as the movement of the power wheel is continued, the bars 6 aremoved in the opposite direction and a second shake is split from theblock with the butt end at the opposite end of the block. Thus, in areciprocation of the pitman, two shakes are formed, as will be plainfrom Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. Furtherm re, if two blocks are usedand the splitting element and supporting element are duplicated, theapparatus will form two shakes at each movement of the supporting bars 6or four shakes in each complete reciprocation of the bars. 7

If longer shakes are to be produced than the minimum for which themachine is adapted, the cross-bars I 4 are adjusted to accommodate thegreater length of block and the vertical position of the splittingelement I6 is adjusted and through the obvious use of supporting meansin the channel 22 below the connected portion of the splitting element,so as to increase or decrease the thickness at the butt end of the shakefor providing the different desired lengths of shake.

It is to be particularly noted that the splitting elements do not cutthe material. In cutting through the material of the block, there isnecessarily approximately the same thickness of material of the blockdivided by the cutting whereas through the use of the improved splittingelement, which splits and does not cut, it will be apparent that thewedge formation of the splitting element causes that portion of theblock divided by the initial split to be iorced to bend downwardly, thussplitting the shake from the block ahead of the splitting element,resulting in a breaking of the fiber and bringing the shake to thedesired taper and presenting at the same time that desired roughness orgrain-showing highly desirable in articles of this character.

What is claimed to be new is:

1. A shake making apparatus including a frame having side and end bars,upper and lower guide bars secured on the inner surface of each sidematerial block supporting plate connected to the respective slide bars,said plate having offset terminals secured to the lower surfaces of theslide bars, with the offset terminals of a depth to hold the supportingplate in a position below any possible position of the tool in the slidebars, means for reciprocatitng the slide bars to simultaneously operatethe tool and supporting plate, the upper guide bars being formed with aseries of notches extending longitudinally of said bars, and cross barsloosely fitting similar notches of the respective guide bars to hold thematerial block against longitudinal movement on the supporting plateduring operation of the knife.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, including holding blocks torest upon the upper surface of the material block and means carried bythe upper guide bars for preventing longitudinal movement of the holdingblock without interfering with free vertical movement thereof.

3. A shake making apparatus, comprising a frame, upper and lower guidebars secured on the inner surfaces of the frame and spaced apart to formguideways, slide bars movable in the respective guideways, a wedgearranged transverse and connected to the respective slide bars, amaterial block supporting plate connected to the respective slide bars,the upper surface of the plate being below the path of movement of thewedge and spaced therefrom, means for loosely confining a material blockon the plate to permit a slight movement of the block in the directionof movement of the wedge and tilting of the block in the formation of ashake, whereby when the wedge is advanced toward the block of materialon the plate, the wedge will split a shake from the block, the forwardend of the shake passing between the plate and wedge and the blockfalling in position for formation of a subsequent shake.

4. A shake making apparatus, comprising a frame, upper and lower guidebars secured on the inner surfaces of the frame and spaced apart to formguideways, slide bars movable in the respective guideways, a two-edgewedge arranged transverse and connected to the respective slide bars, amaterial block supporting plate con-4 nected to the respective slidebars, the upper surface of the plate being below the path of movement ofthe two-edge wedge and spaced therefrom, means for loosely confining amaterial block on the plate to permit a slight movement of the block inthe direction of movement of the wedge and slight tilting of the blockin the formation of a shake, means for reciprocating the two-edge wedgewhereby when the two-edge wedge is advanced in one direction toward theblock of material on the plate, the wedge will split a shake from theblock, the forward end of the shake passing between the plate and wedgeand the block falling in position to be acted on in the reverse movementof the wedge in the formation of a subsequent shake.

AXEL E. BECKMAN.

